Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Speaking of cask ales, I made my first trip out to Firkin in Libertyville. At about 25 minutes away from my office, it can be a risky proposition to get there and back for lunch, but I did, and I was very happy I did. They had around 30 beers on tap, including two casks, one with Three Bros Outlaw and the other Tighthead Brewery's Irie IPA. I had the Irie last week on tap and was impressed with a new local brewery's effort, so I started with it. It was pretty darn good, though to be honest, I think I enjoyed it a bit more from the tap.

I had a Zombie Dust with my burger. I wanted to try something I'd never had, but nothing jumped out at me and I've never seen ZD so far north.

Anyway, happy to see such a great beer friendly bar in the N/NW Chicago burbs.

"A man comes from the dust and in the dust he will end-- In the meantime it is good to drink whiskey."
-->WhiskeyWonka<--

Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Great night at a local bar where they were holding a Deschutes "roll out" party with reps from the brewery in attendance. We had a nice time sucking down pints of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Red Chair NWPA and Black Butte Porter, as well as small samples of Chainbreaker White IPA. Nice folks from the brewery too!

"I distrust a man who says 'when.' He's got to be careful not to drink too much, because he's not to be trusted when he does." Sydney Greenstreet

Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Originally Posted by AaronWF

Speaking of cask ales, I made my first trip out to Firkin in Libertyville. At about 25 minutes away from my office, it can be a risky proposition to get there and back for lunch, but I did, and I was very happy I did. They had around 30 beers on tap, including two casks, one with Three Bros Outlaw and the other Tighthead Brewery's Irie IPA. I had the Irie last week on tap and was impressed with a new local brewery's effort, so I started with it. It was pretty darn good, though to be honest, I think I enjoyed it a bit more from the tap.

I had a Zombie Dust with my burger. I wanted to try something I'd never had, but nothing jumped out at me and I've never seen ZD so far north.

Anyway, happy to see such a great beer friendly bar in the N/NW Chicago burbs.

Sounds like a great lunch. One thing that I should mention regarding the few cask ales that I have found served here and there in Chicagoland is that many are tended to by people with little or no experience in dealing with them, so they are not always served in their optimal condition. In England, many pub owners/managers hire a "cellar man" (if they lack the knowledge and expertise to handle the chore themselves) to continually monitor the beer's progress until it is ready to be served. Having spent many hours in pub cellars picking their brains as to how it's all done, I learned rather quickly that it really takes a great deal of time to learn the ropes, given that each keg of beer is different, and that a novice will inevitably end up serving an inferior pint. I'm afraid that may often be the case here in the US which is unfortunate but understandable.

This year I will be attending the event linked below which takes place every spring just outside Boston. It's a fabulous time!

Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Had a Bell's Black Note today (the sole case at my nearby Binny's was sold one bottle at a time in 47 minutes -- or at least the Tweets announcing it was in and then gone were 47 minutes apart). It's a mixture of their Expedition Stout and Double Cream Stout aged in bourbon barrels. On the thin side even at 11.5%; not quite up to the standards of BCBS, KBS or Parabola. Still a mighty fine beer.

Re: What beer are you drinking? Winter 12/13

Sittin' out back after my run, soaking up some brilliant sunshine and crisp but comfy temps with a Southern Tier 2XIPA. Stunningly delicious. I was gaga over my first one yesterday, but dismissed my hyped-up enthusiasm as simply a carryover from returning back home from profitable meetings in Chicago. Nope. This stuff IS wonderful. And, it's all about balance and the mouthfeel. Citrusy, hoppy, grapefruit and all that you would expect from the style, but deliciously balanced with a creaminess that prevents those qualities from getting out of hand and running roughshod as it rolls over your palate. This baby is going to be a staple in my beer fridge going forward.